Water cooler



H. B. HAlT WATER COOLER Oct. 17, 1944.

Filed July 1, 1943 Fiy. 3.

inventor flan 4rd 5. Hail (Ittomg Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER COOLER Howard B. Hait, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application July 1, 1943, Serial No. 493,009

3 Claims.

My invention relates to water coolers, and more particularly, relates to improvements in thermal insulation thereof.

Conventional water coolers are insulated from penetration of external heat by the use of substantial thicknesses of thermal insulation such as cork, mineral wool, glass wool and the like. These substances have a relatively high specific heat capacity and, when refrigeration is started, considerable time and energy are wasted in first reducing the temperature of the insulation. Furthermore, these materials, in the thickness generally used, add greatly to the bulk and weight of the water cooler. Also these insulations often absorb and emit disagreeable odors and harbor vermin.

The primary object of my invention is to pro- -vide a water cooler in which these defects are overcome.

Another object of my invention is to produce a refrigerator in which a thermally insulating vacuum is produced by the refrigerating mechanism.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, my invention comprises a mechanical water cooler in which the space to be maintained at reduced temperature is surrounded by a vacuum-tight compartment which is suitably connected to the refrigerating mechanism for exhaustion of the air within said compartment whenever desired.

The invention, both as to details of construction and combination of parts, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment which I illustrate as an example, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: 4

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a water cooler embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of the vacuum compartment of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of another type of water cooler embodying a modified form of vacuum compartment.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown in Fig. 1 a bottle type mechanically refrigerated water cooler. The particular make of refrigcrating apparatus is not of primary importance and practically any of the known types may be employed. The apparatus shown includes a casing l mounting a motor l2 supplied with electricity by means of leads l4 and [6, a compressor [8, a condenser 20, an evaporating coil 22 enveloping a water-cooling tank or chamber 24, and a thermostat 26 connected in the electric supply line of the motor l2.

The Water-cooling chamber 24 is open at the top to receive an inverted water bottle 30 cushioned by an annular rubber seat 32. An opening in the bottom of the chamber 24 communicates with a spigot 34 for withdrawing the cooled water. The chamber 24 and the enveloping evaporator 22 are supported by a member 36 suitably mounted in the casing l0.

Surrounding the evaporator 22 and resting in a groove in the top side of the member 36 is a thin-walled vacuum compartment 40 of hollow cylindrical external shape and of suitable strength to resist collapse byatmospheric pressure. A shut-off valve 42 is threaded into a threaded hole 44 tapped in a lug 46 protruding from the side of the compartment 46 to provide communication with the space in the interior of the compartment 40. A T 48 is connected by a nipple to the low-pressure side 5|] of the compressor 18. A pipe or tube 52 connects one branch of the T 48 to the valve 42, the other branch of the T 48 being connected to the evaporator low-pressure return line or tube 54 which contains a shut-01f valve 56. The high pressure side 58 of the compressor is connected to the condenser 26 through a three-way valve which can be set either to feed the flow from the compressor into the condenser or to shut off the condenser and open the compressor directly to the atmosphere.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to evacuate the compartment 40, the valve 56 is shut off and the valve 60 is positioned to shut off the condenser and open the high side of the compressor to the air. The compressor is then placed in operation and the valve 42 is opened. A vacuum of 28 inches can be readily produced with the ordinary compressor, this degree of evacuation being found to provide satisfactory thermal insulating characteristics. When the air in the compartment 40 is exhausted to the desired degree, the valve 42 is shut off, the valve 60 is turned to the position communicating the high side 58 of the compressor I8 with the condenser 20, and the valve 56 is opened. The refrigerating mechanism is thus restored to the normal cycle of operation and refrigeration proceeds at a greatly accelerated pace over the ordinary water cooler because there is no delay due to a large mass of thermal insulation from which heat must be removed. i

In Fig. 3 I have shown my invention as adapted to a pressure-type water cooler. In this instance the casing I houses a motor, compressor, condenser and thermostat (not illustrated), similar to the device of Fig. 1. An evaporator coil 22, connected to the compressor by a tube 54' and to the condenser by a tube 10, is disposed in a tank 12 which is carried on a member 36 mounted in the casing [0. Water under pressure from the water supply system is connected to a pipe or tube '14 which leads into a water-cooling coil 16 surrounding the evaporator 22'. From the coil 16 the water passes to a fountain-type spigot 18 via a tube 80. A drain basin 82 receives the waste water and disposes it by way of the drain pipe 84.

A vacuum compartment 40 similar to the compartment 40 except that it is shaped to be almost entirely enclosed at the top, encloses the tank 12 and coils 22 and 76 and is mounted on the member 36. The compartment 40' is evacuated as before via the tube 52 and shut-off valve 42. The operation of this modification is similar to that of the device of Fig. 1, previously described.

It should also be realized that it is not intended that the material of which my vacuum compartment is made is to be limited to any particular metal or other substance, as it can optionally be made of metal, glass or plastic, or in fact of any material which has suitable strength and can be made vacuum tight.

Though the invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as numerous embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. My invention, therefore, is not to be limited except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art or by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanically refrigerated water-cooler having a helically coiled evaporator, thermal insulation comprising a vacuum-tight compartment surrounding said evaporator and means to dissociate the compressing element from the remainder of the refrigerating apparatus and to connect it with the interior of said compartment for establishing a vacuum therein.

2. In a mechanically operated water cooler having a compressor, thermal insulation comprising a vacuum-tight compartment, a passage connecting the low-pressure side of said compressor with the interior of said compartment whereby the compressor may be used to establish a vacuum in said compartment, and a shut-oflf valve in said passage for sealin oil" the compartment.

3. In a mechanically operated water cooler having a compressor with a first passage connecting the high side to a condenser and a second passage connecting the low side to an evaporator, thermal insulation comprising a vacuumtight compartment, a T in said second passage, a third passage communicating with said T and the interior of said compartment, shut-off valves in said second and third passages, and valve means associated with said first passage for shutting off said condenser and opening the compressor high side to the atmosphere.

HOWARD B. HAIT. 

